Darkness Descending
by halfmyheart
Summary: A chill began to creep into the tiny room in which the boy was trapped. He lay on the cold red stones, bleeding and broken... Complete!
1. Darkness Descending

Disclaimer: I don't own Obi-Wan. I am just borrowing him.  
Please tell me what you think of this and whether or not I should continue with it. Thanks!

It seemed like an eternity before the pain began to subside. Angry red gashes chased one another across the sensitive flesh like a horde of angry bees. A dull ache was growing rapidly in his skull and every time he tried to move a sharp stabbing pain shot through his right leg. Cold began to creep into the tiny room in which the boy was trapped, lying on the cold red stones, bleeding and broken. Far above him in the high windows he watched as the warm glow from the nearest sun faded slowly from the bleak gray walls. The planets two moons took up their watch as sentinels over the sleeping world. As he slipped once more into unconsciousness he thought he heard a distant voice calling to him, but despair and darkness took him and Obi-Wan Kenobi knew no more.

>>>

The darkness was absolute. Obi-Wan lay on the cold stone floor of his tiny prison. He could hear distant footsteps approaching as the guards drew closer to his cell. Seconds ticked by until the heavy iron door was thrown open with such force that dust fell from the high ceiling. He winced against the sudden light. The guard strolled into the room.

"Get up" he thundered. He jerked Obi-Wan up off of the floor. White-hot pain surged through his body from his many wounds as he fought to stay conscious.

"Lying around at this hour of the day, it just won't do." The guard laughed as he gave the boy a brutal shove out of the door into the waiting arms of the second guard.

"We'll have to fix that won't we?" Both guards broke into raucous laughter at their own brilliance. They started off down a long dark corridor dragging Obi-Wan behind them. Their laughter seemed to fill his mind until it was all he could hear. Somewhere down the hallway Obi-Wan was overcome by darkness once again.

>>>

When next he woke he found himself in a dimly lit room only slightly bigger than the previous. Quickly taking his bearings he found that he was lying on a soft bed made out of feathers. A gentle hum told him that he was onboard some sort of ship or spacecraft. His guards were no where to be seen.

"You're awake, good."

Obi-Wan almost jumped out of his skin. He had thought he was alone in the room. Reaching out with the force he realized that the speaker was in a far corner shrouded in darkness. He tried to ask who was there but his throat was dry and his voice cracked from disuse. In the next moment the speaker stepped forward into the light. He was tall with flaming red hair. But it was his eyes that unnerved Obi-Wan the most; they were purple, flecked with gold, and they were cold, cold without a shred of compassion. Evil was written over ever inch of the man's person. Run, screamed a voice in Obi-Wan's head, run for your life.


	2. The Hands of a Healer

Still don't own Obi-Wan. Thanks for all the reviews. I will try to update more regularly.

The boy passed his days in a haze of darkness and ever growing fear. People with a strange pink hue to their skin came and went bringing him water and bread but never speaking and never meeting his gaze. His right leg was broken, he was a slave on a ship bound for a fate unknown, he was helpless without a weapon, and his master Qui-Gon had no idea where he was. His nights were filled with nightmares, and his days were filled with pain and desolation.

>>>

The spaceport was alive with a flurry of activity. Ships of all shapes and sizes were constantly coming into the port. People were rushing about selling and buying supplies and souvenirs from their journeys. The port seemed to be home to most of the galaxies orphans. They skulked about in the shadows waiting for a precious piece of dropped fruit or a dropped coin to snatch up and make off with. The port also seemed to be home to some of the galaxies best healers, outside the Jedi temple of course. Obi-Wan was taken to one such healer by a pink hued denizen from his captor's ship. The healer, a man with three eyes and a silver tongue, was called Techee. Techee was said to be a wonder among the healers, one with a deft touch. A curious tingling sensation spread through Obi-Wan's leg as Techee probed the broken bone.

"Hmm, broke clean in two," said the small man in a wheezy voice. There was a bit of tingling, and then white hot pain following a nasty crunching sound that only lasted a second but still made him cringe.

"Well I've healed the bone but there may be a slight discomfort for a while till the swelling goes down." A malicious grin tugged at the corners of the man's mouth as he said the word discomfort. Great, thought Obi-Wan I'm being held captive by a slave trader and being healed by a sadistic lunatic. Things couldn't possible get worse.

Oh how wrong he was….

>>>

The firelight cast eerie dancing shadows on the low ceiling of the cavern. Boys ran back and forth in pairs carrying buckets full of a very rare blue rock. In the first few days of his enslavement Obi-Wan leaned that the blue rock that he and the other boys mined from dawn till dusk was the most precious and expensive rock in the outer rim territories. It drove the slave trade and made kings out of those lucky enough to stumble onto a pocket of it.

>>>

The hours ticked by slowly and the sound of hammers and chisels echoed loudly in the small enclosed space where the boys worked. Obi-Wan barley heard the whistle that signaled the end of the work day. He filed into line with the other boys as they headed for the lift. The lift began its agonizingly slow ascended toward civilization. Numb from the cold of the cavern and defend by the hammers Obi-Wan gratefully accepted his bowl of hot water and celery, a meager supper but a welcome one. He was then lead to a cold lonely cell. Climbing into bed later that night after supper Obi-Wan fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pile of sheets that served as his pillow. He was woken at dawn by the soldiers posted outside his cell.

"Wake up slave!" He punctuated the command with a fist in the boy's stomach. Laughter rang in Obi-Wan's ears. "No breakfast for you, you're too lazy to eat." The guard shoved his face first out the door. Obi-Wan managed landed painfully on his knees. "Hmm, I think no lunch either. Now move it slave!" Obi-Wan was once again forced into the cavern for another long exhausting day of mindless hammering for the evil redheaded man who owned him.

>>>

Alone in his chamber the red headed man watched the monitor showing his newest slave, a boy by the name of Obi-Wan. He was in lying on his bed in his cell nursing a burn on his left arm, a goodnight gift from his guard. The red headed man had big plans for the boy. Big plans…


	3. Return to the Light

Still don't own 'em. Completed. Thanks to everyone that reviewed.

Thanks to Shannon especially for seeing the story through to the end. Hope I didn't disappoint.

Obi-Wan Kenobi had been to hell and back recently. He considered this a return trip with a one way ticket. After days of working in the minds dirt was permanently embedded in his skin and any kind of bright light would bring him to tears. At the moment he was lying perfectly still on his stomach on the floor of his cell, trying desperately to ease the most recent pain inflicted by his guards. A boy by the name of Jace occupied the cell next to his. A few days before the two boys had found a long range transmission radio, archaic, but able to connect with the modern comlinks of the Jedi. For two glorious seconds Obi-Wan was connected to the outside world, to civilization, and to Qui-Gon, but them reality had come crashing down on his head in the form of a guards bat. The beating that followed was one of the worst in his memory. Another guard had to intervene to keep him from being killed; although he didn't do so with much enthusiasm. Now, days later the feeling was just starting to slowly creep back into his legs and lower back and the pain was starting to set in. Days were long and painful. His captors didn't seem too eager to heal his injuries nor did they seem to care that he was in considerable pain. H e soon began to wonder if he would die in his cold cell, alone and broken. But it suddenly became painfully clear to him that his guards would rather see him suffer than die, but in his present state that thought didn't provide much comfort. Each new day brought with it a new unbearable agony. Obi-Wan endured each with a stony face and closed mouth. He would not give them the satisfaction of hearing him cry for mercy, though he seriously doubted that they even knew the meaning of the word. At the back of his mind remained a glimmer of hope that Qui-Gon had received his cry for help and that he would come and rescue him from the hell that had become his home. The pain in his back intensified and as he tried to move he became ill and once more there was nothing but darkness.

Obi-Wan was only vaguely aware of the sounds of gunfire and smoke in the air. In the distance he could hear people yelling and issuing orders. His guards had left to join in the fight. Slowly he sat up and leaned wearily against the stone wall. It had been two weeks since his last beating and he was now able to move around a bit without becoming ill or unconscious. The fight was moving closer. The shouting was growing louder.

"Get the boy and go! I have plans for him!" It was the purple eyed man. He was shouting at a guard. The next moment the door was flung open and he was hauled to his feet.

"Move or you'll never move again." The guard shouted in his face. He was taken down tunnel after tunnel. The sound of the fight growing fainter with every step he took. Suddenly a blast issued out from an adjacent corridor and the guard fell by his side. Looking up Obi-Wan saw a familiar and welcome face.

"Master Windu," he said sliding down the wall, fear and exhaustion beginning to show.

"It's alright Obi-Wan. Master Qui-Gon is right behind me. The space pirates will be defeated. You are safe now. We will take you back to the temple and all will be well."

"But the man he said that he had plans for me."

"He was going to try to use you to prove to the Republic that the Jedi were easily defeated. You are only a child and would not prove difficult to capture as you have not completed your training as a Jedi. Anyway, the Chancellor does not negotiate with pirates. Now rest you are safe."

For the first time in a long time Obi-Wan felt himself beginning to relax and slip into the darkness without fear.


End file.
